


Baby's Breath

by InkAtHeart



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Adoption, Baby Fic, Happy, M/M, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-11 08:13:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7883509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkAtHeart/pseuds/InkAtHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hanzo was focused entirely on the bundle of blankets in his arms, the little child swaddled inside. Just shy of eight months old, the little girl had stolen Hanzo and Jesse’s heart in two seconds flat the first time they met her and she smiled so wide. They had never once talked about kids, never even considered it with their line of work, but one look at Hanzo when that baby smiled at them two months ago and their fate was sealed.</p><p>They were daddies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A commission from the lovely http://mrs-nicole-charon-hancock.tumblr.com/  
> A request for Jesse and Hanzo adopting a baby~

Despite the excitement of their journey, Jesse felt a bone deep exhaustion as he settled in one of the Carrier’s seats. He was thankful for Lena’s expert piloting and for the ability to get a private flight to and from their destination. It was a blessing really, something normal people were never afforded. But as he looked over to the man pacing slowly around the Carrier’s main room he couldn’t help feeling grateful for so many things in his life, not the least of which being Hanzo himself.

Dressed in a pressed white button-up and pristine black dress-pants, the man looked pretty enough to be a pinup; God knew he was the screen-lock on Jesse’s phone. His partner was done up so nice with his long hair freshly cut and hanging down to his shoulders and his beard trimmed, vastly different from his usual and yet still the same ferocious elegance. The only shame was that his skin was covered more than usual.

Hanzo’s attention, however, was far from Jesse. Instead the man was focused entirely on the bundle of blankets in his arms, the little child swaddled inside. Just shy of eight months old, the little girl had stolen Hanzo and Jesse’s heart in two seconds flat the first time they met her and she smiled so wide. They had never once talked about kids, never even considered it with their line of work, but one look at Hanzo when that baby smiled at them two months ago and their fate was sealed.

They were daddies.

Yuki Marie Shimada-McCree, a mouthful of a name to be sure but to the world around her she was just Yuki. Japanese born, sharing Hanzo’s heritage, left to adoption when her only known parent died in an Omnic attack. That had been the whole reason Jesse and Hanzo were in Japan in the first place, cleaning up the dangerous Omnics that remained to keep the people safe.

While Jesse loved Hanzo to absolute pieces, he had never taken the man to be the paternal type. He didn’t think Hanzo did either, but he sure as hell seemed to be shaping up quick. There were a lot of questions left unanswered, worries left uneased, but that was all for a future that wasn’t today.

“Hanzo,” Jesse called softly, gesturing to the open seat beside him on the padded bench. Yuki’s little carrier sat down by the cowboy’s feet, but it hadn’t been used once since they picked their angel up. She was wholly content to be in their arms, and they were far from complaining about it.

The elder man slowly looked turned his gaze to his lover and searched his face before going to sit, and with a little maneuvering they settled with Hanzo’s back against Jesse’s chest. From such an angle they could both hear Yuki’s soft little breaths where her head rested against her father’s shoulder.

Jesse turned his head just slightly and pressed a kiss behind Hanzo’s ear, “If you don’t get some rest, you’ll be downright exhausted when she needs you,” he warned, “Not to mention things ‘r gonna be hectic once we get home. Everyone’s gonna wanna slice of this lil’ angel food cake.”

Hanzo scoffed softly, “I am fine,” he murmured.

“You sure are, but you still need some rest,” Jesse smirked and pressed another kiss to the back of Hanzo’s ear, “At least get a nap in ‘til we get home.”

“I am a dragon, I do not _nap_ ,” the man grumbled irritably.

“You may be a dragon but you’re as stubborn as an’ ol’ mule,” he returned easily, “But maybe I wanna hold her for a lil’ bit sweetheart.”

Yuki stirred and squirmed, little hands flexing as she let out a tired coo.

“You woke her,” Hanzo groused.

Jesse rolled his eyes and wiggled until he released himself from behind his lover, then reached down and very carefully extracted the baby girl from Hanzo’s hold. He gave her up without much fuss, leaning back into the corner of the bench with tired eyes. “Get some rest, handsome, we got the rest of our lives to love on her.”

Hanzo smiled, the sight of which still did wonders to melt Jesse McCree’s cowboy heart.

Yuki was waking up, squirming more enthusiastically in Jesse’s arms. He smiled down at her, “Hey angel cake, how’re you doin’? You hungry?” he got a gurgle in response, “I’ll take that as a yes.” He reached up as he walked towards one of the two large metal tables in the center of the carrier, one big hand smoothing down wisps of dark hair. There was a high-chair waiting there, obsessively cleaned and sterilized on their trip to Japan.

With some amount of fuss, Jesse settled her down and figured out the straps and latches to keep her upright, “When do you learn to start walkin’? I bet you’ll be hell on two feet huh? Might need to invest in one of those…baby leashes. Can’t have you runnin’ around all wild ‘round the Watchpoint, who knows what kind of trouble you’ll find.” He affixed the tabletop of the chair down and latched it while he talked, grabbing for the temperature-controlled diaper-bag (courtesy of Angela) to grab a jar of baby food.

“You know, you’d think that in all the years we’ve been comin’ out with high-tech stuff, we’d have something better than this mush…” he pried the lid open and looked at the green glop inside, grimacing, “But Angie tells me that babies don’t have much for taste buds so… I mean, I guess she’s the doc right?” he grabbed for a rubber tipped spoon.

Yuki was alert, looking around the space with wide brown eyes, her head lolling around in her curious efforts. Her little hands patted the plastic table-top, and when she saw the jaw she squealed happily.

“You can’t tell me you _like_ this stuff do ya? Well I guess I gotta believe Angie now. No sense of taste,” he got a spoonful of mashed peas and pushed it forward.

It was far from a clean process, Jesse found. He figured maybe twenty percent of the jar actually made it in the girl’s mouth, with the rest ending up on her face, her clothes, and the chair. “An’ Hanzo calls me a messy eater,” he teased with a grin, grabbing for a clean rag to wipe up as much of the mess as he could. Yuki was squealing loudly, bouncing in her seat with little hands flying around and pounding on the table.

He grabbed for a sippy cup next, filled it with some milk-like formula that Angela said was good for babies her age and helped the girl get it to her mouth. About three sucks in she grew bored of drinking, and went back to drumming with the addition of her cup. The whole thing was oddly endearing to a man who had never had much interaction with children in the past. A constant slow warmth burned in his heart as he watched the girl…

It was hard to imagine that something so small and cute could grow up to be a woman. What would she be like when she got older? How did babies become adults? He wasn’t sure he wanted to find out, he could be content with his little angel staying just like this.

Briefly he thought about Fareeha. Jesse had still been a pup himself back then, but she had been just around ten, maybe a bit younger. The memory was a fuzzy one, of a woman with dark skin and darker hair, quick as a whip and smart as all get-out. He thought about the woman he knew now, tall and powerful and _terrifying_. Beautiful by every regard, but he could barely put together the little girl of his memory with the Security Chief he knew.

“Adaaa!” the loud outburst startled Jesse from his woolgathering, looking down to find the sippy cup shoved aside as Yuki leaned forward in her chair as much as she could, her little arms outstretched as she pawed towards the table. He turned to follow the girl’s sight and chuckled.

A pack of sterilized toys was set out on a rag. He grabbed for the rattle and a few colorful plastic blocks, setting them on the table one by one to the excited squeals of the baby. “You know for a second I thought you said… When do babies start talkin’ anyway? I should pro’lly know that huh? Well come on, can you say Da-Da?”

He was rewarded with a slew of loud babbling, he chuckled and shook his head, “Fair enough.”

Jesse entertained himself and his daughter (he could still hardly believe it) over the next hour, unaware of his lover watching them from the bench with a smile…

* * *

Shortly before their Carrier touched back down in Gibraltar three hours later, the crying began. Loud wails interrupted only be short gasps for breath. Yuki was traded between Hanzo and Jesse as the two tried to comfort her however they could think. Even after a diaper change, offered food, coddling, bouncing, toys, and pleas, she kept crying.

The rumble and clatter of the Carrier coming to land only increased the volume of her sobs, curled up against Hanzo’s chest, red-faced, mouth wide open as she let out another pealing screech.

The whir of the engines slowly came down to nothing as the hatch opened and folded down to the pad outside. Jesse spotted more than a few figures waiting down at the landing pad, and as the carrier’s noises cut to silence, only Yuki’s cries could be heard.

He looked to Hanzo who was watching him with uncertainty, his thoughts likely the same as Jesse’s: _what a great first impression for us being parents…_

A blue flash announced Lena’s presence, and she gave the men an apologetic smile, “It’s the pressure change I bet, babies are real sensitive ‘bout that. Nothing much you can do.” She looked out to the waiting team and vanished forward in another flash of blue, reappearing before the group.

Jesse was able to spot Angela and Lucio break forward, walking towards the carrier. Lucio skated up quickly, “Easy now, I think I got this,” he grinned wide as he pulled out a small round tablet, tapping at it a few times. From the speakers on his cross-fade, a beat sounded sharp and clean, cutting through the sound of Yuki’s crying. It was soothing and melodic, and Jesse instantly felt the edges of his frayed nerves soothed down, and saw Hanzo relax marginally.

Angela caught up to them a moment later as the wails slowly began to die down, Yuki burying herself into Hanzo’s shoulder with grumpy burbles. Both men let out a sigh of relief, and Jesse approached to rest a hand on the girl’s back, giving his lover a smile before he glanced back, “What’d you do?”

“It’s a bit of my healing mix worked in with a lullaby. Should help her relax. Man look at that, she’s gorgeous,” he inched forward some, a wide smile on his face as he watched the girl calming down even further.

“Babies can be very sensitive,” Angela spoke up, her accent familiar and soft, “It could be any number of things. Possibly the pressure change, the noise, or just being around new people.”

“But she was just fine with us until about half an hour ago. Happy as a baby goat. Then she just got worked up…”

Angela offered him a smile, “I looked over the files you sent me. She’s at the age where she has likely grown very attached to her previous caretaker, and wants that comfort back. It might take her a little while to get used to you and Hanzo as her new caretakers. Lucio’s music should help keep her calm though.”

“I already got the speakers in her crib set up with a few mixes for her!” the man announced happily, “We might have been busy while you two were away.”

Jesse smiled, but Hanzo’s face was muddled with discontent. Brows pinched, eyes down on Yuki’s head, “What good are we as parents if we cannot calm her ourselves?”

“Now hold on Sweetheart,” Jesse stepped a little closer and pressed a kiss to the furrow at his lover’s brow, “Think about it, Yuki was just fine up until a little bit ago. She was happy as a clam with us. I bet it was just the pressure change, an’ even if it wasn’t, we can’t help nature. She’s a baby, she just don’ understand yet. Got nothin’ to do with us not bein’ good parents. We’re as new to this as she is.”

“Jesse’s right,” Angela said, “Everything will work out. And taking advantage of any tools that can help Yuki adjust to her new setting is a good thing.”

Yuki had gone silent, her eyes closed as she drifted off to sleep with the help of Lucio’s music.

“There see? Back to bein’ a lil’ angel,” Jesse dropped a kiss to the crown of her head, “Now come on, looks like we got an audience to meet the new superstar.”

Hanzo seemed marginally more amiable as the four of them emerged from the Carrier and walked down onto the landing pad of the Gibraltar base. The team was gathered up, watching them approach with silent excitement. Each of their eyes lit up as they got closer, every gaze on a sleeping Yuki.

Jesse was relieved at the quiet they managed, the normally boisterous group not wanting to risk waking the baby. Everyone smiled, offering their wordless approval.

As the pair walked the path leading towards their room, a hand on their shoulders tugged them down a different way. Lucio’s grin had gotten even bigger, “Got a surprise for you two,” he mused, “Come on.”

“We really should lay Yuki down to rest,” Hanzo said, “I’m sure the surprise can wait.”

“Na-ah,” the Brazilian shook his head, “Just trust me alright?” He looked to Jesse, desperate for backup.

“I suppose we should follow the music,” the cowboy looked to Hanzo with a lazy smirk, “Can’t hurt.”

Hanzo looked unhappy at the idea, but allowed Jesse to steer them down to follow Lucio and Angela. He immediately recognized where they were headed, “The Officer’s wing?” he asked Angela.

She smiled at him, “You’ll see!”

They stopped outside of a metal door overlooking the sea, a beautiful view that was far away from the noise of the base’s usual commotion. Angela produced a card-key that she used to open a heavy metal door and led them inside. “We made some changes to the room assignments,” she called as Lucio followed behind her, “But I think you’ll find it suitable.”

Jesse and Hanzo stepped inside and the cowboy’s jaw dropped at the sight. Fresh carpet, a king-sized bed, two full dressers and a couch. The room was easily four times the size of the shared room he and Hanzo had been using during their time together. Angela smiled bright, “You also have a personal bathroom,” she said, gesturing to a door on the far side of the room, “And we made a few…modifications…”

She walked over to a door directly across from the bed, opening that and vanishing inside. Jesse and Hanzo followed her and even Hanzo looked utterly stunned at the change.

The adjacent room was the same size as the one they had just left, the entire space outfitted to be, as far as Jesse could tell, the perfect nursery. The walls were painted a soft blue, Yuki’s crib sat near a window, freshly painted pink and with a new mattress and blankets. The bars had speakers attached to a tablet similar to the one Lucio had used earlier. A mobile sat above it, spinning lazily. At the other end of the room was a counter with a mini-fridge and a hot-plate, with a high-chair set nearby. A large wooden toy chest sat at the far wall, toys piled up and over the edges, with a giant stuffed bear as tall as Jesse sitting next to it. In the middle of the space was a play-area, set up with various stimulating toys that would entertain even Jesse himself for hours.

“We wanted to wait and surprise you,” Angela said with a sheepish smile, “We’ve been excited. Torbjorn built the crib and chest. Reinhardt has been importing the toys from Germany, Hana and Lena got clothes. We know you two had these things already, but everyone insisted on helping.”

“Angela this is…this is wonderful. I don’t know what to say, or where to begin…” Jesse was still looking around the room, then settled his eyes on a stunned Hanzo, “What do you think, Darlin?”

Hanzo snapped out of his stupor and looked to Angela, “This…this is… How long have you all been working on this?”

“Since we learned you two would be adopting,” the woman chuckled, “You two worked so hard, we wanted to make sure you knew how much we want her here. You and Jesse will make amazing parents, I have not a single doubt.

“This is mighty nice of you all, hell I don’t think Hanzo ‘n I know where to begin thankin’ you,” he turned and put his hand back on Yuki’s back, then kissed Hanzo’s temple. “Hey Angie, think…think we could have a minute?”

“Of course,” she nodded, “Take all the time you need.”

She and Lucio left through the door at Jesse’s back, and a moment later he heard the main door to their new room close as well. With his nose still buried in the soft fans at his lover’s temple he took a deep, grounding breath, “You’re mighty quiet, handsome.”

“They…they did all of this…” the man’s smoky voice was tinted in disbelief, “I do not know how to begin to thank them, I…”

“Hey now, they didn’t do this for thanks,” Jesse pointed out, wrapping his big arms around his family; his lover and daughter, “They’re almost as excited to have our baby girl here as we are. I think they wanted to show us that, show us how much they love the idea of havin’ a lil’ rugrat around. Back when I was still a pup, Fareeha was runnin’ around this place like the queen of the world. Jus’ like our Yuki will I’m sure. They want her to have a good life here jus’ like we do.”

Very slowly Hanzo stepped forward, then crossed over to the crib and leaned down to settle Yuki inside. Jesse followed a few steps behind, smiling when he spotted a little toy rattle shaped like Reinhardt’s hammer down at the foot of the crib.

Once the girl was settled, sleeping silent and peaceful, Hanzo turned and buried himself against Jesse’s chest. The cowboy was happy to wrap his arms around his lover’s shoulders, holding him close as he pressed kisses to the crown of his head, “My two lil’ angels,” he mused against soft black hair.

“I have never been so happy,” Hanzo said, the words surprising Jesse. “Most of my life has been edged in darkness. The son of a crime-lord, the murderer of my brother, forsaken by my family. And then I found you, Jesse McCree, you who swept in and somehow stole away a heart I didn’t know I still had. I thought I had been happy before, but right here, right now… I have a family who loves me; a lover, a daughter, and _friends_ who have gone out of their way to give us everything we could need…” ae swallowed, and Jesse could swear her heard a telltale tremble in his voice, “I’m so happy here…with you, with them…”

Jesse smiled, “Darlin, that’s mighty nice to hear. Best damn thing I think I’ve ever heard, actually.” He wasn’t sure what else to say, didn’t think anything else needed to be said. Hanzo already knew how much Jesse adored him.

They stood there for a few long minutes, basking in the warmth of their shared joy. Finally, Jesse took a breath, “So…am I changin’ the diaper or are you? I think she needs it.”

Hanzo just snorted a surprised laugh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lovely Nicole commissioned another piece to this story, and has expressed wanting to see it continued in the future. So here's the next part to this odd but adorable little family!

Hanzo Shimada prided himself on many things: his skills in battle, his skills as a leader, his skills as a lover, however the skill he prided himself most on was that of being a father. It was something he had never known he wanted until the day he met Yuki, and something he never believed he could have without the support of Jesse McCree. His family was small, imperfect, and wonderful.

His own father had not been a cruel or unkind man, had never raised a hand in violence to his sons. However Hanzo’s father had been a distant figure. Even when with his sons or his wife, the man always had other matters on his mind, a far-off look in his eyes that spoke of places he would rather have been. He worked hard for the family and the Clan, but he was a man that Hanzo had only a thin relationship with. As the brothers grew older, their time with their father grew more infrequent, until he was all but a memory of a man sitting in an office.

Hanzo knew the Genji held some resentment towards their father, and as a youth he strived for the man’s attention. It rarely worked. Despite everything, though, Hanzo could not begrudge his father. In his later years in training to take over the Clan, he saw what the man had to handle, got a taste of the sheer amount of work that came with being the head of the Shimada Clan. That his father died young was not a surprise – many of the Clan Leaders died before sixty, the stress of it all just too much for one person.

Being away from that, having a reprieve from what would have been his fate, was a relief. It allowed Hanzo to have things he never thought he could. A lover and a child who both loved him. Time to attend to his family and give them the attention they so deserved.

Yuki was a blessing. She was also trouble.

Hanzo tried to keep the girl on a schedule to keep her engaged and working throughout the day. Get up at seven, have a healthy breakfast, allow her to watch two of her children’s TV shows, then work on her education in short bursts with breaks for play-time. Lunch at noon, then she spent two hours with either Hanzo or Jesse for exercise and physical engagement before her nap. Another two TV shows after she woke, then she could choose her activities for the rest of the day.

Every book he had read stressed the importance of keeping a young child engaged and thinking. It promoted intelligence and a healthy lifestyle, and given every sign so far, Yuki was incredibly smart. Her motor skills were far beyond where most children her age were, as were her physical abilities. Her speech patterns were equally impressive, able to hold a mostly coherent conversation with the people around her.

Of course, with intelligence came deviousness.

The girl was well aware of having those around her wrapped around her little finger. She was an expert at getting what she wanted, and lately what she wanted was…

“Jesse,” Hanzo sighed as he walked into their daughter’s room, finding the two sitting on the floor side by side watching the television with mutual levels of interest. When neither of them responded, Hanzo huffed a sharp sound, “Jesse!”

The man startled and turned his shaggy face to give his lover a sheepish grin, “Hey there Darlin.”

Hanzo folded his arms and straightened his back, “What have I told you about those cartoon shows?”

Yuki had turned to look up at Hanzo as well, her innocent cherubim face the mask of perfect innocence. Her long black hair was tied with a blue ribbon and she wore a green shirt with a frog emblazoned on the front courtesy of Lucio. He offered his daughter a knowing smile.

“Aw c’mon Hanzo, they’re not that bad,” Jesse defended, one big hand reaching out to rub the girl’s back, “Besides, they’re part of your culture.”

Hanzo groaned and reached up to rub the bridge of his nose, “I would not consider Japanese cartoons a part of my ‘culture.’ Not to mention, they’re violent, gory, and over-sexualized – not appropriate for children!”

“What’s sexualized?” Yuki asked, picking out the word she obviously didn’t know.

“Something that is bad for children,” he responded quickly, “Besides, it’s your nap time.”

Both Jesse and Yuki whined in unison, and for a moment Hanzo was uncertain of which one was truly the child. “Can’t we at least finish this episode?” Jesse pleaded.

Hanzo just gaped at his lover for a moment, “Jesse you’re an adult, you don’t need permission!” He covered his face with his hand and let out a frustrated sigh, “Yuki, it’s nap time.”

“But I’m not tired!” she crawled into Jesse’s lap in hopes of protection from Hanzo’s schedule.

“That’s because you were _supposed_ to be exercising with your father,” the archer sighed, “But instead you were breaking the rules, so now you get to go to bed without being tired.”

“Daddy!” she pleaded as she clung weakly to Jesse’s shirt.

Hanzo rolled his eyes as he walked over to the television and turned it off, then picked up the girl’s cup and frowned, “Did you give her soda?” he asked with an exasperated sigh, “Jesse, we’ve talked about this.”

Jesse stood up, the girl held lovingly in his arms as he rocked her gently, “Just a bit o’ my root beer Darlin, no caffeine. Promise,” he dropped a kiss on Yuki’s temple, “But Dad’s right Sweetness, you should get a nap in,” then, conspiratorially he whispered, “We’ll finish up tonight alright?” and winked.

Hanzo went to the sink at the other side of the room while Jesse laid the girl down in her bed, settling beside her. While Hanzo cleaned up the space, Jesse started to sing…

It was an old country song from the early 2000’s, an artist Hanzo couldn’t recall on the spot but it didn’t matter. Jesse’s voice made it better. The man could have easily had a career in music had he not gotten tangled with the Deadlocks, the spirit and care in his voice was near magical. Hanzo knew it was as much to put Yuki to sleep as it was to butter him up, Jesse knew the effect that voice had on his lover.

Soon enough the room was clean again and Yuki, despite her protests, was asleep. Jesse stood from the bed and walked over to pull Hanzo into his arms, dropping a kiss on the man’s forehead before pulling them out of the room.

Back in their own room, the door closed behind them, Hanzo gave his lover an incredulous look, “Don’t think you’re going to get away with letting Yuki watch those terrible anime shows,” he scoffed, “Culture. Is that like feeding her Poky?”

“Aww c’mon Darlin. Sometimes you gotta let a kid be a kid. You really think I’d let her watch anything inappropriate?” Jesse smiled as he settled on their bed, leaned back into the pillows. Hanzo eyed him warily.

Hanzo huffed softly, “Genji used to watch that garbage when he was a child. It gave him all sorts of terrible ideas that led to him breaking his arm.”

“You think cartoons actually led to him breaking his arm?” Jesse chuckled.

“He jumped off of the temple roof thinking he could fly.”

Jesse was quiet for a long moment, “Wait really?”

“He was five. And stupid.”

“Well then I’ll make sure to keep Yuki away from any temple roofs and that she understands the rules of gravity,” Jesse shrugged, “As much as a kid can understand. You can’t keep her on such a tight leash Sweetness, kids like to rebel. The more you push, the harder they want to pull.”

“She gets plenty of leeway, but I want to make sure-“

“Darlin, Yuki’s sharp as a tac and quick as a whip. But no matter what, a kid is gonna be a kid. You can’t tell me you never did anything stupid as a kid. I know I sure as hell did. Busted my head clean open once fallin’ out of a tree. What about you?”

“No, because I understood that rules existed to keep me from making foolish mistakes,” Hanzo huffed, feeling defensive.

“How did this go from Anime to you worryin’ she’s gonna hurt herself? She’s gonna be fine. She’s got the best Dad in the world,” he smiled and reached out, tugging Hanzo closer, “So will you let me keep my promise? I don’ wanna hide nothin’ from you, we’re gonna finish that episode. Goku is about to beat Buu.”

Hanzo felt himself drift down and drape himself into Jesse’s embrace, sighing, “You’re a silly man, Jesse McCree.” Yet as he buried his nose into his lover’s neck, he couldn’t help but feel okay with that. Jesse was silly, and Jesse was his.

* * *

 

It was a calm Tuesday afternoon. Hanzo was settled at the edge of the jungle gym that Torbjorn and Reinhardt had spent a week building the summer prior for Yuki. A monstrous thing made more like an obstacle course, but Hanzo had determined that it was both sturdy and safe. Besides, the girl was never allowed to play within the area without either Hanzo or Jesse present. Not even Genji was fully trusted to babysit the girl.

Genji, however, enjoyed playing with Yuki. They shared a childlike wonder at the world, and could spend hours playing silly games that Hanzo had no hope of understanding. Genji was good to Yuki, he was gentle and patient and that was all Hanzo could ever ask for – a loving Uncle who got into more trouble than his niece.

It was also an opportunity to teach the girl Japanese, integrating it into their play. She was almost as fluent as with her English, which Hanzo had no end of praise for.

Of course they were playing out a scene from the shows Hanzo so loathed his daughter watching. He tolerated it as it got the girl exercising, babbling in Japanese as she thought she imitated what she had seen on the television screen. Genji played along, knowing more about those silly shows than anyone, Hanzo was sure.

Yuki played the Hero against ‘Majin Genji.’ They squealed and tore through the jungle gym with ease, and all seemed normal. Hanzo contented himself to monitor their progress between reading his book, a decisive dissertation on the state of Omnic Rights within the world.

At the word ‘Dragon’ cried from his daughter, Hanzo glanced up briefly, then did a double take. A mist of violet coalesced around the slide momentarily before the plastic tore open and a small purple dragon lunged into the air. A scream was closely followed and Hanzo leapt up and rushed forward.

The spirit beast vanished into the sunny air as Genji jumped down from the top of the structure with Yuki solidly in his hold. The girl clutched him tightly, shivering from her startled fright.

Hanzo was swift to gather the girl up, holding her tight and secure as he murmured quiet, soothing sounds into her ear. His own heart was racing, his mind trying to turn over what had occurred. The dragon was too small to have been Genji’s, and the wrong color besides. Genji had pulled his mask off, and gauging the expression of shock and disbelief on his brother’s face, the two shared the same thought.

After a few moments of quiet, Hanzo gently pulled away to look his daughter over, “Are you alright? Were you hurt?”

Yuki’s tear-stained face was painful to see, wide brown eyes seeking her father’s wisdom to make everything better. She seemed physically unharmed, and so he offered her a smile and reached a hand up to smooth over her soft hair, “Relax Yuki, you’re alright.”

She sniffled pathetically and moved to tuck herself back against Hanzo’s chest, and he allowed it as she calmed herself down.

The distant sound of running caught Hanzo’s attention, familiar boots and spurs approaching at a dead run. Jesse skipped the stairs in his rush, jumping down them in an easy vault before he came to settle panting heavily at Hanzo’s side, “Athena said something happened, what’s…” he looked up and surveyed the scene, catching sight of the damage in the structure, “Shit what happened?”

Genji remained silent, the only one who might have an answer.

A moment later brought another set of footsteps approaching. Angela this time, jogging towards them with a black medical bag in hand, “What’s wrong?”

There were times Hanzo was thankful for Athena’s constant watchful gaze. Jesse and Angela having both been alerted likely as soon as the event had happened; it made Hanzo feel confident that his daughter would always be safe on Gibraltar. “I’m not entirely sure. I am aware of what it looks like, but… Genji?” Hanzo looked to his brother in hopes (or dread) of confirmation.

Genji looked to Angela first, then to Jesse, finally to Hanzo, “She…she summoned a dragon.”

Jesse’s shock was the first to be verbalized, “She _what_? How?”

“That shouldn’t be possible,” Hanzo stood up slowly and passed Yuki to Jesse, and the girl was happy to snuggle into the cowboy’s sun-warmed skin for comfort, “She’s not…” she wasn’t an actual Shimada.

“I’m sorry,” the girl lifted her head, looking frightened still. Hanzo recognized now that she looked guilty as well as frightened, likely scared that she was in trouble.

“No, Yuki,” Hanzo soothed gently, “This wasn’t your fault.” It shouldn’t have even been possible.

“It’s alright Baby Girl,” Jesse added, “We’re jus’ tryin’ to figure out what happened.”

“We were just playing and then…” Genji shrugged.

Hanzo took a deep breath, “Alright. Nobody was hurt. The nature of the Dragon Spirits are still a mystery, even to us. I will investigate the Shimada Archives and see if I can figure this out. Jesse? Take her up to the room and rest with her?”

Jesse nodded, “Yeah, come on Baby Girl.” He turned and walked for the steps, keeping Yuki held tight in his arms.

Hanzo nodded to Angela, “Thank you for coming so quickly. Thankfully nobody was harmed.”

She nodded, reaching up to pull lightly at her hair, “Please tell me if you find anything Hanzo. Let me know if I can help at all.”

He nodded, “Of course. Yuki should not be in any danger from a dragon, if it _is_ hers. I would be more concerned that it would have hurt Genji,” he looked to his brother to confirm that the man was unharmed.

He nodded, “I am alright.”

“Good. I will look into the Archives then,” he turned to go towards the Communication’s Tower to access the database.

“Brother,” Genji called after him a moment later. Hanzo turned curiously and the younger continued with a smile, “It was purple.”

Hanzo blinked, then nodded, “The same as Father’s.”

 

* * *

 

In the late 2030’s, Hanzo’s father had agreed to the transferring of the physical Shimada Archives to a digital home. Many of the oldest scrolls and tomes were long-suffering from age and wear and threatened to fall apart just from existing, even rarely touched by only the most trusted of the Shimada-Gumi. It was not something that was necessarily wanted, but it needed to happen to preserve the ancient legacy of their Clan, and the information that was so valuable to their heritage.

Their network was held behind heavy security, and before his abandonment of the Clan, Hanzo had made the selfish decision to lock away all of his family’s history and secrets behind a passcode that only he now knew. The Elders and whomever might have remained of the Shimada family were forever barred from the ancient secrets.

With Athena’s assistance and the power of Overwatch’s mainframes, Hanzo was able to access the archive from the Communication Tower. He spent hours poring over the ancient information of his family, stories he vaguely remembered and some he had never heard. The nature of the dragons were still a mystery, even after so many centuries and generations of Shimada.

One passage caught his attention, from the early 1700’s.

_“…upon looking into the Spirit’s eyes I saw a familiar glimmer. The Dragon had come to my aid without call, and though I have seen this manifestation dozens of times throughout my life, when I looked upon it now I saw the eyes of my Mother watching over me. She was proud. She was strong. I believe that in her passing, the Dragon had taken her spirit and carried it on to aid me. Perhaps that is true of all those who pass on within our line. We call upon the Dragon, then when we pass on, we become a part of it, carrying through to the next generation.”_

Hanzo mulled over the text, considering. He found little else of interest. Many recollections of the Shimada Dragons were to recall the destruction they brought upon their enemies, or the power they gave the wielder. There was little about the Dragons themselves.

When Hanzo left the tower, dusk had fallen. With Yuki in mind, he climbed the steps to their rooms swiftly in the hopes of finding her safe and calm. He wasn’t disappointed when he opened the door to his room and found Jesse and their daughter laying on the bed, eyes on the television. Yuki was curled in the safety of Jesse’s arm, tucked against the side of his body as she watched mildly enraptured.

He didn’t even mind the terrible anime that played. He was just happy to see his family safe and at peace.

Both Jesse and Yuki glanced up at him as he entered, and he offered them a smile as he crossed the room to join them on the bed. He settled on Yuki’s other side, smiling when the girl shifted to snuggle up against his side. She was more affectionate than normal, and Hanzo worried that it was because of lingering worries of the day’s events.

He nudged the girl gently, then took the remote and paused their show. At their disappointed looks he huffed softly, “You may finish your show soon. But there are things you should know.”

“Am I in trouble?” were the first words out of Yuki’s mouth.

“No, my little one, far from,” Hanzo sat up straighter and pulled the girl into his lap. She settled to face him, curious and confused. Jesse watched with interest from the side, shifting to curl a little closer.

“No, Yuki, you are not in trouble. What happened today was an accident, but it was also something truly special. You see, our family has a gift. One that keeps us safe, and protects us when we are in danger. That was what you called upon today. Your Dragon.”

“A dragon?”

“Yes. They are animals of great strength. The strongest members of the family have this gift,” Hanzo struggled for a moment, remembering that Yuki was barely three years old. How could he explain this to a child?

“You’re like the good guys in our shows, Yuki,” Jesse chimed in with a wide smile, “You know those cool glowing attacks?”

Her eyes lit up and she bounced in Hanzo’s lap excitedly, “Really?”

Hanzo huffed a sigh, “Yes. But it is not something to use lightly, Yuki.”

“Do you have a dragon?” she asked Hanzo, eyes bright and curious.

The man sighed, then smiled and rubbed her arm, “I might.” He called upon the dormant energy within himself, the power that had gone untapped for so long. Along the marks of his arms, blue mist began to form, then the slowly shifting bodies of the spirits began to move and crest over his skin.

The girl gasped, reaching out to touch at one of them. “Wow!” she chimed, “Do you have a dragon?” she looked to Jesse with hope in her eyes.

The man shook his head, “Nah Sweet Pea, that’s something special for you ‘n Hanzo.”

She looked sad for a moment and Jesse just smiled, “Don’t worry. I’m special in my own way.”

“But remember Yuki, I cannot stress this enough. You cannot use your dragon without reason. You could have hurt your Uncle today, you could have hurt any of us or yourself. I…I have never seen a dragon summoned by one _so young_ before,” he glanced to Jesse, then back to his daughter, “I was ten when I summoned mine. Genji did not get his until he was twelve. The Archives showed that is the average age to obtain a dragon.”

“That just makes you _extra special_ Darlin!” Jesse offered over the somber tone.

Yuki brightened again, “He was so pretty.”

“Yes. He was beautiful,” Hanzo agreed, smoothing his hand over the girl’s soft hair, “It is customary to give your dragon a name when it appears. It does not have to be right away but-“

“Ichirou!” Yuki exclaimed suddenly.

Hanzo’s breath caught for a moment, his thoughts halting.

“You wanna name him after the character on Hero Star?” Jesse asked and Hanzo blinked as he realized she had gotten the name from one of her anime. Neither of the two caught Hanzo’s momentary unease as Jesse continued, “How about Shenron?”

“No. It’s my dragon Daddy!”

“Ichirou is a fine name…” Hanzo spoke suddenly, smiling to his daughter and pulling her close.

“Yey!”

“But tomorrow you and I will begin your training. You must come to understand how and when it is alright to call upon Ichirou. Genji can assist,” he added.

“Uncle has a dragon too doesn’t he?”

“Yes. His is green. He named him…” he sighed, “Noodle.”

Yuki and Jesse laughed, and Hanzo couldn’t help his smile. He knew Jesse had questions, could see it in the man’s eyes as Hanzo settled back and let their show turn back on and put Yuki between them.

Tomorrow he could tell Jesse about his ideas. That perhaps the Dragons were tied to the Shimada in spirit more than blood. That the Spirit had accepted their daughter as worthy of the Shimada name, encouraged the line to continue on. Perhaps now it could continue with a positive inflection, no longer bound to crime and power. A last seed fallen from a dying family tree.

A girl with a spirit strong enough to summon a dragon. A dragon donning a violet color and his Father’s proud name.

Yes, Ichirou was indeed a fine name…

**Author's Note:**

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